1.
double eyelid (eyelid with a crease)
An eyelid that has a visible horizontal fold or crease above the lashes, making the upper eye area look as if it has two layers. The opposite of 一重まぶた. A central concept in Japanese discussions of eye shape, makeup, and cosmetic surgery.
きれいな二重まぶた。
Beautiful double eyelids.
二重まぶたにする整形手術を受ける人も多い。
Many people undergo cosmetic surgery to get double eyelids.
朝起きると、片方だけ二重まぶたになっていることがある。
Sometimes when I wake up in the morning, only one of my eyelids has a double-fold.
Composed of 二重 (double layer, two-fold) and まぶた (eyelid). Describes an eyelid with a distinct crease above the lash line. Note that 二重 in this word is read ふたえ — not にじゅう, which would be the more general reading of the same kanji.
USAGE:
- Used attributively (二重まぶたの目 "eyes with double eyelids") and as a predicate (彼女は二重まぶただ "She has double eyelids").
- In casual conversation, many speakers drop まぶた and just say 二重: きれいな二重 (beautiful double eyelids).
- Commonly paired with its opposite 一重まぶた (single eyelid).
- An unusual in-between category is 奥二重 — a crease that is partly hidden behind the upper lid.
CULTURAL NOTE:
Double eyelids are considered a desirable feature in mainstream Japanese beauty culture, and the industry around creating them is enormous: drugstore products like アイプチ (eyelid glue) and アイテープ (eyelid tape), as well as surgical procedures known as 二重整形, are widely advertised. Many adults describe fluctuating eyelid shape — especially having 二重 on swollen mornings or after sleeping poorly.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 二重まぶたにする: to give oneself double eyelids (via makeup or surgery)
- 二重まぶたになる: to become double (naturally or otherwise)
- 二重まぶたの線: the crease line of a double eyelid
- 自然な二重まぶた: natural-looking double eyelids
- 二重まぶたの整形: double-eyelid cosmetic surgery
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 一重まぶた: single eyelid — the opposite shape, without a crease
- 奥二重: hidden double eyelid — a crease that is mostly concealed
- まぶた: eyelid — the base noun
- アイプチ: eyelid glue — a drugstore product used to create a temporary double eyelid
- 二重整形: double-eyelid surgery — the cosmetic procedure